The Black Art Project, with a focus on the visual arts, is an evolving multi-faceted series of collective projects that together will present solid, verifiable documentation of the contributions of Black art and artists in the overall body of American art.

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Thursday, June 20, 2013

Artist Voice: Don Griffin

As an abstract painter, I have developed
a number of inventive techniques that emphasize Abstraction (color,
form, and texture), which mirrors many years of experimentation with
various mixed media processes that have become integral to my style.
Through the evolution of time from 2005 to 2012, the use of text has taken
the form of emulated Cursive handwriting. Interestingly, it has the mechanics
of cursive writing without actually forming comprehensive words, ideas, or
statements within the composition. The text itself was added as an element, and
many times expressed no direct relationship to the work itself,

other than
having a textural effect through the font style and word groups. These
word groups interest me simply as structures, and produce an artistic desired
effect within the work. The scale of the text is another element used for
visual interest. Originally, I employed text from various printed material.
This included magazines, and novels having aged characteristics with my
favorite being encyclopedia pages if printed on thin paper. All of these were
incorporated into the work as collage.

At the beginning of January 2012, I became so engrossed with the dismal economic portrait that it stimulated this new body of work entitled Wall Street Short Stories, A Story of Wall Street. It reflects a new direction in comparison to my work created in previous years, mainly via "Fine Parchment Paper" which forms the substrate. "Fine Parchment Paper" was selected for its tactile sense and the ability to be manipulated into a highly textured surface. This, combined with the rich interplay of crumpled, wrinkled surfaces, creates a low relief sculptural quality. The Parchment Paper transcends typical painting in both look, effect, and its wonderful sound which when handled, resembles the crispness of new US paper currency. Creative Titles conjure the short stories developed by the activities that produced the Greed of the ugly beast disguised as capitalism, which nearly brought the financial system of the world on the brink of collapse.